Many marine pleasure craft are propelled by water jet propulsion systems comprising a prime mover, a high pressure pump driven by the prime mover, and a nozzle for receiving water from the pump, converting into a high energy liquid jet and discharging it from the rear or stern of the craft in such manner as to propel the craft at high speed through the water.
While such marine craft may take a variety of forms, from conventional boats to hybrid vehicles, a currently popular craft is the jet ski, an exemplary depiction of which may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,852, granted Dec. 16, 1986, to Nisida et al. In the operation of jet skis, considerable turbulence and white water are generated to the rear of the craft and when a sharp turn is made at high speed the craft causes a wall or plume of water to be thrown high into the air. The creation of such a plume of water, called a "rooster tail", contributes significantly to the enjoyment and exhilaration of the sport of jet skiing, just as it would to other forms of marine activities.